‘Jurassic World’ Movie Review 0 1678

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It’s been 22 years (DEAR GOD) since Steven Spielberg’s superlative dinosaur blockbuster Jurassic Park first came along and blew audiences away. Now all that time has elapsed and with two disappointing sequels in between, Jurassic World takes things to the only logical place a modern sequel really could; to have the Park be the fully formed world of prehistoric attractions first envisioned by John Hammond (the late-great Richard Attenborough).

Said theme park is now fully up and running, visited by 20,000 new visitors per day and featuring everything from dinosaur petting zoos to Sea World-esque feeding shows and beyond. Behind the scenes are the genius scientists who use genetics to create the dinosaurs, discovering new species and constantly trying to go bigger and better.

But one day they go too far as pressure from the shareholders to make things truly extraordinary and unforgettable has led them to create a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur that bests the T-Rex in size. When it suddenly gets loose, it’s up to hired marine Owen (man-of-the-moment Chris Pratt) and Park Operations Manager Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) to rescue her nephews (Iron Man 3‘s Ty Simpkins and The Kings of Summer’s Nick Robinson) who are stuck out in the park’s most dangerous areas, and doing their best to help bring down the terrorizing new dinosaur that’s hunting for sport.

If you go in expecting something as good as Spielberg’s original then you’re undoubtedly going to come away disappointed. It’s true that it doesn’t quite have the same level of child-like awe and wonder about it, and indeed there’s more emphasis on rendering the dinosaurs fully formed and believable on-screen than there is on the humans involved. But judged on its own merits, on what it sets out to do, the film is something of a thrilling treat, one that fulfills what we’ve come to expect from a modern blockbuster in terms of scale, spectacle and quality of visual effects, as well as providing some nostalgia-tickling nods to the original – the inclusion of John Williams famous musical theme, the reappearance of the old Park logo et al – that will have those old enough remember giggling with knowing glee.

The film spends much of its first act introducing us back into the world of dinos in modern day as well as to the idea of the originally envisioned park finally come to fruition. It does a nice job of world building in that respect, giving us time to get settled in and to make sure all arms and legs are inside the carriage before the ride commences. Once we get to the point of prehistoric hell breaking loose and sheer panic ensues, it’s a fun whirlwind of set-pieces that makes full use of the massive budget that’s gone into the spectacular looking dinosaurs.

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Chris Pratt as “Owen,” trying to control the raptors.

The film has a lot of hard work to do both in terms of at least trying to live up to the hype but also to visualise some pretty out-there ideas in a way that’s believable to watch and pulls it all off in pretty damn slick fashion. It even manages to make the idea of pet raptors not just palatable but convincing and compelling. It’s also got a vein of self-aware humour running throughout it to make sure things don’t get too po-faced on us while at the same time treating the danger for what it is and thus making it feel real for the audience; no mean feat when you consider that danger is entirely CGI created. And needless to say the film saves the best for last with a final showdown that’s genuinely eye-popping.

Colin Trevorrow’s calling card movie Safety Not Guaranteed – undoubtedly what got him this gig in the same manner as Monsters got Gareth Edwards his Godzilla – was a gem of a movie that fused together big ideas with endearing character interactions. And although there’s no amazing detail or depth to the latter here, as I said, they’re still enjoyable folk to be around and about whom you actually care. This is largely true in the case of Pratt, proving once more that he’s one of the most charming and charismatic new presences in Hollywood.

The two kids in peril are, thankfully, likeable and engaging rather than annoying – essential when one of the main plot angles is their rescue after they naively wander into a restricted zone – and it’s nice to see the continued late-career resurgence of Vincent D’Onofrio who most recently stunned everyone with his complex performance in Marvel’s Daredevil TV series. If there’s an issue with one character in particular it’s Dallas Howard’s super organised Claire; not so much her performance but rather how her character is written, with certain scenes throwing up some problematic, possibly sexist and misogynistic messages that if not purposefully done then certainly carelessly included.

That being said it’s not something to derail the movie, just a moderate wrinkle in an otherwise hugely entertaining blockbuster. Is it as good as the original? Of course not. But nor should it automatically be compared to it because it merely uses that film as a springboard to be its own beast, only calling back to what came before as a mark of respect and to keep it very much part of that world, so to speak. Perhaps this amount of time had to pass for a sequel this good to come along but as it stands, for the most part anyway, it was worth the wait.

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I'm a freelance film reviewer and blogger with over 10 years of experience writing for various different reputable online and print publications. In addition to my running, editing and writing for Thoughts On Film, I am also the film critic for The National, the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland, covering the weekly film releases, film festivals and film-related features. I have a passion for all types of cinema, and have a particular love for foreign language film, especially South Korean and Japanese cinema. Favourite films include The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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Tolkien Biopic to Be Released in May 0 5287

10th May, 2019 is when Tolkien will be released to the world, an autobiographical film that will revolve around the early days of legendary author J.R.R. Tolkien before he became the literary giant that he is today.

Here on Thoughts on Film we are big fans of his work and the recent films made by Peter Jackson. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (LOTR), are responsible for originating a universe that has gone on to inspire movies, animation, fiction, and modern media interpretations.



This is why Tolkien is regarded by many as the greatest fantasy author of all time. His creative stamp can be seen nearly everywhere in modern media. There’s the direct reinterpretation of his work in the recently released action roleplaying game Middle Earth: Shadow of War, where players are thrust into a major role in Tolkien’s literary canon. George R.R. Martin, who originated the now globally-popular Game of Thrones series on HBO, openly reveres LOTR as the inspiration for his work, citing the early death of Gandalf in Fellowship of the Ring as having a profound effect on his “own willingness to kill characters at the drop of a hat.” On the web, more Tolkien-inspired work can be found on leading slot portal Slingo and its many online titles dedicated to the fantasy genre, including Amazon Queen, Fae Legend Warrior, and Magic Castle, all of which feature elements that can be traced back to the author’s massive body of work. Technically speaking, the same can be said of nearly every major fantasy brand out there today, from Dungeons & Dragons to Magic: the Gathering. In short, almost every type of entertainment that features western fantasy can be traced back to the works of Tolkien.

In the upcoming Tolkien movie, the man will be played by Nicholas Hoult, whom is best known for Mad Max: Fury Road and Hank McCoy in the most recent X-Men movies. And now, the actor’s versatility will be tested as he steps into the shoes of the most iconic fantasy writer of all time. Starring alongside Hoult will be the actress Lily Collins as Edith Bratt – the woman whom Tolkien loved above all and is reportedly the inspiration for all “elven princess characters” in the LOTR series.

Helming the film is director Dome Karukoski whose CV includes 2017’s Tom of Finland, a critically acclaimed chronicle of the life and works of the controversial artist of the same name. And while media outlets haven’t yet heard from either the cast, director, or crew of the film, an official synopsis of the movie has been released via Collider. “Tolkien explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school. This takes him into the outbreak of World War I, which threatens to tear the “Fellowship” apart. All of these experiences would inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-earth novels.” It sounds like a real treat for film, literature, and Middle Earth fans.

Feature: 2019 Oscar Predictions 0 4031

I think it’s fair to say that the run up to this year’s Oscars has been a little messier than usual, from unexpected and bizarre wins at other awards shows (Vice winning Best Editing at the BAFTAs, anyone?) to ridiculous decisions by the Academy to change the show around.

The latter has proved a particular point of contention with both those in the industry to onlookers on social media, with choices such as not letting all the songs be performed to introducing a Best Popular Film category (whatever that means) to not airing four categories live; Editing and Cinematography proved a particular issue, sending the folks of Film Twitter into a Hulk-like rage.

Thankfully all of these decisions except for the one to not have a main host have taken the walk-back of shame; I look forward to Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair again. Of course there’s still the issue of plenty of thoroughly deserving films, filmmakers and performances not being up for any Oscars at all (*cough* Toni Collette! *cough*) but of course that’s not an issue unique to this year.

The show must go on, as they say, and I thought a week out from this year’s ceremony I’d throw my hat into the ring as far as predictions goes. Below I’ve listed what I think will win in each category, as well as what I personally would like to see pick up that little gold man come next Sunday evening.

Best Picture

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Green Book

Lead Actor

Want to win: Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)
Will win: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Lead Actress

Want to win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Will win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)

Supporting Actor

Want to win: Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Will win: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Supporting Actress

Want to win: Emma Stone (The Favourite)
Will win: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Director

Want to win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)
Will win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Animated Feature

Want to win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Will win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Adapted Screenplay

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: BlacKkKlansman

Original Screenplay

Want to win: First Reformed
Will win: The Favourite

Cinematography

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Documentary Feature

Want to win: Free Solo
Will win: Minding the Gap

Foreign Language Film

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Film Editing

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Editing

Want to win: A Quiet Place
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Mixing

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Production Design

Want to win: Roma
Will win: The Favourite

Original Score

Want to win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Will win: Black Panther

Original Song

Want to win: Shallow (A Star is Born)
Will win: Shallow (A Star is Born)

Makeup and Hair

Want to win: Mary Queen of Scots
Will win: Vice

Costume Design

Want to win: Black Panther
Will win: The Favourite

Visual Effects

Want to win: Avengers: Infinity War
Will win: Ready Player One

Animated Short

Want to win: Bao
Will win: Bao

Live Action Short

Want to win: Marguerite
Will win: Marguerite

Documentary Short Subject

Want to win: Black Sheep
Will win: Lifeboat

Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave your predictions/wishes for the winners below or tweet @TOF_UK or @rosstmiller.

Roll on Sunday!